(G)I-DLE sweeps music streaming charts with 'Nxde'

The Korea Times

The Korea Times

Entertainment & Arts

Fri, December 8, 2023 | 08:33

K-pop

(G)I-DLE sweeps music streaming charts with 'Nxde'

Posted : 2022-10-24 08:25

Updated : 2022-10-25 08:44

K-pop act (G)I-DLE / Courtesy of Cube Entertainment

By Dong Sun-hwa

K-pop girl group (G)I-DLE is taking the music scene by storm with its latest release, "Nxde," that dropped on Oct. 17.

"Nxde," the lead single off the quintet's fifth mini-album, "I Love," is topping the real-time charts on Melon, Bugs and Genie ― the three major streaming platforms in Korea ― as of Sunday afternoon. It edged out "After Like" by girl group IVE and "New Thing" by rapper-producer Zico, among others. The latter is a song featured in Mnet's ongoing dance competition show, "Street Man Fighter."

On YouTube, the "Nxde" music video has drawn more than 58 million hits, while the "I Love" EP racked up over 700,000 pre-orders. The mini-album also ranked first on the iTunes top albums chart in 40 regions around the world.

Written by leader Soyeon and producers Pop Time and Kako, "Nxde" is an alternative pop track sampling the "Habanera" aria from Georges Bizet's 1875 opera, "Carmen." The pop song's lyrics liken a person's genuine self to a nude.

"A nude can be thought of as something obscene, but I thought it was more about authentic self," Soyeon said during an online press event, Oct. 17.

In the "Nxde" music video, all five (G)I-DLE members appear as Hollywood star Marilyn Monroe (1926-1962), portraying her as a woman combating the stereotypes of a "showgirl."

(G)I-DLE burst onto the K-pop scene in 2018 and has dropped a string of hits including, "Lion" (2019) and "Tomboy." (2022).

sunhwadong@koreatimes.co.kr